It took 3 minutes before the Necrosis affliction finally started to dissipate. He'd been getting increasingly worried that it might follow him to Interim Island.

After regaining his composure, Adam picked up the Spidersilk Sack from where he'd discarded it earlier and went around the forest collecting the Blood Elemental Cores. He ended up with a total of six, since the two from the last pair of golems had been destroyed by the freezing effect caused by the wraith's death explosion.

When I sell these, it'll put me at 2856 Points for this Stage. That's not bad, but still a far cry from what I got in Two. It's a shame they all sell for the same price.

The Nightwing hadn't dropped any special reward, which was disappointing.

Unless I'm expected to chop it up to get a special prize? But Emelia didn't mention anything like that, so I guess not?

He frowned when he realised that he'd have to literally carve open the enemies in Stage Four to get their collectibles, the Heart of Darkness.

Still, I can't wait to see how my setup fares in a Stage with a lot of enemies.

If I can get the Committed Attack Ring, then I could double up the number of imps as well. That would be pretty powerful considering how strong they are. Just a shame that I can't use the Cruel Gauntlets along with the ring…

Although perhaps the Ring's effect would make it so I can only use the imps every third Stage, which is clearly no good. Guess I'd have to ask Shitbox if it becomes relevant.

Adam went over to the carriage and collected Belamouranthe. She followed him as he returned to the podium next to the Nightwing's giant corpse.

Still can't believe that thing was just a 'dwarf'. The real thing would have to be like ten metres tall or something…

"Thou fought well, Adam," the Elphin girl praised. "To take down such a monster as this is the mark of a hero."

Adam grinned. "Thank you, but it wasn't so tough actually."

"Will we go home now?" the Elphin girl asked.

"In a moment, I just have to finish up here."

She nodded. "I wish to thank Weaver for this dress and I hunger for Charlie's stew."

Oh, she means 'home' as in Interim Island, not the Elphin Sanctuary. That's new.

[5 minutes remaining.]

Adam eyed the upgrade podium.

"I get two upgrades for killing the Secret Boss, right?"

[Yes.]

"Awesome."

I've only gotten two upgrades on the Summoner, so I still need four more to evolve it to Invoker. Then this build will really start to shine.

< < Upgrades Available > >

< Spell Size (Rare) — Increases spell size by 45% >

< Casting Effect (Uncommon) — Increases casting responsiveness by 20% >

< Dodge (Uncommon) — Grants a 10% chance to dodge a direct attack >

Damn, they're all kind of bad.

Dodge would take a long time to build up, and it's really only reliable as a defence when I hit 100%, since anything lower means there's a chance I won't avoid a hit. Not to mention, it only works on direct attacks, so I'm still better off focusing on Defence and Health.

I also don't think Spell Size will benefit me, since my barrier will grow to be about 3 metres wide and tall. As Shitbox mentioned, I cannot shape it into something smaller and its current size is already good enough for defensive purposes.

Guess I'll pick Casting Effect. Maybe it'll help make the wand and its spells more useful, although it does kind of feel like a waste.

Wait… I forgot I bought rerolls. I should use one.

"I wanna reroll the options," Adam said.

[Understood.]

The upgrades were scrambled and changed.

< < Upgrades Available > >

< Spell Damage (Uncommon) — Increases spell damage by 10% >

< Casting Range (Rare) — Increases casting range by 35% >

< Venom (Uncommon) — Attacks inflict venom slowing target by 10% for 10 seconds >

That's better. Damage is something I can definitely use.

Of the Summoner's six potential upgrades, only Spell Damage and Speed seemed worth picking, which was frustrating since that meant he only had a 1-in-3 chance of getting either of those as reward options.

Before he selected it, he pulled out the wand just to ensure that the next set of upgrades would still be applied to it.

< < Upgrade Selected > >

< Spell Damage (Uncommon) >

The upgrades flickered and were replaced.

< < Upgrades Available > >

< Spell Speed (Rare) — Increases spell speed by 35% >

< Casting Effect (Uncommon) — Increases casting responsiveness by 20% >

< Crush (Rare) — Increases the impact of attacks by 15% >

Definitely Speed, he immediately decided. Although, I am a bit curious if Crush would even affect the barrier. It does seem like it would be better with weapons that rely on blunt force, like maces and maybe the Brawler's gauntlets.

Adam put his hand in his right pocket to touch the Lucky Stone he'd looted from the Hobgoblin's room in Stage Two.

If I use it I'm guaranteed Rare Relics from the chest, but is there actually something I want from there?

He quickly ran through the options in his head. The Spring Boots and Fur Coat were both useful to have, but also things he could live without.

I'm better off saving the Lucky Stone for later. I should probably ask Emelia about the potential rewards for future Stages so I can plan ahead.

< < Upgrade Selected > >

< Spell Speed (Rare) >

The Eye folded back into a cube and floated over next to the Relic Chest. It immediately began to glow. A moment later it popped open and revealed a glove, a collar, and a black furry vest.

< < Relics Available > >

< Barrage Glove (Uncommon) — All projectiles are split into 3, each dealing a 3rd of total damage >

< Glutton Collar (Uncommon) — Consume two potions within 10 seconds of each other without incurring toxic backlash, but toxicity build-up is tripled >

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

< Slothling Fur Coat (Rare) — Increases Player Defence by 25%. Breaks after 5 hits | Increases Movement Speed by 10% >

Well, that's fortunate.

While the Barrage Glove might boost his wand, the Fur Coat was a much better choice given his low health. Besides, he could sell it for more if he didn't want to keep it.

< < Relic Selected > >

< Slothling Fur Coat (Rare) >

A vest of fluffy black fur manifested on his torso. It was puffed out slightly, which gave the impression that Adam had a pot belly.

Not the most fashionable thing, but it's a definite boost.

Before he had a chance to check out his updated stats, the Eye released a cloud of darkness that devoured his surroundings.

< < Now Entering > >

< Interim Island >

The buildings that appeared around him looked slightly less dumpy than before, but he realised they hadn't changed anywhere near as much as during his last loop.

Does that mean a lot less people died in Stage Three this time?

Silver scales already floated around him and froze the Eye and Belamouranthe in time. He looked up to find Luvicidix already sitting on the building in front of him.

"Hi again, Adam!"

"Another companion, right?" he asked.

"Exactly!"

"I don't think I can handle more dumb ones, so please tell me you brought someone intelligent this time. Migraine is really disturbing and Finnian is working his way through Charlie's food supply, no doubt stressing it to its limits."

"The tavernkeeper's supply is endless," Luvicidix replied. "But not to fear, this companion is different from the first two."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

The white moth floated down in front of him and landed gently on two of her six legs. She then held the remaining four arms out before pressing them together. When she pulled them apart, a person appeared from between them like a magic trick.

It was an actual human, something he hadn't thought possible for the System to create. She was either in her late teens or early twenties. A grey hooded travel cloak covered her, and she wore a dark-blue shirt and black pants, as well as worn brown boots. Her face was obscured in the shadow of the hood, but he could tell that she had vibrant red hair and violet-glowing eyes. Black tattoos covered her hands.

Adam thought she looked quite familiar, but it took him a second to realise why.

He glared at the moth. "Are you serious!? This is clearly the apprentice of the boss I just killed!"

Luvicidix nodded. "Very astute, Adam," she praised.

"Won't she hold a grudge? And what about Belamouranthe? She might go after her!"

"Not to worry," the moth said cheerfully. "Sylvia isn't evil. And for the record, I wouldn't be allowed to send hostile denizens here. The Interim Island is a safe place."

"Tell that to the squid downstairs," Adam muttered.

"The deep place is not Interim Island," Luvicidix replied, her tone turning serious. "You take care to not upset the Envoy of Nwetrou."

Adam swallowed at the warning. He hadn't realised it wasn't safe in Skǫll's cave.

"Have I unlocked anything new from Alivida?" he asked, deciding to change the topic.

"You have not."

"Then why did I get something for getting the Special Denizen in Stage One?"

"Alivida's upgrades are based on milestones. The first time you fully completed a Stage was one such milestone," Luvicidix explained.

I guess that makes sense. Beating Stage Five has to be another milestone, perhaps because it's the first time Players kill each other? Or wait no, that can't be right, because I killed Charlotte Hayes and it didn't change my upgrade options.

Maybe beating the Stage is the milestone? Based on what Emelia has said, it has to be the Challenge Stone that is unlocked.

Anyway, that's something to worry about later.

Right now I need to figure out how many Points I've got to play around with. I'd like to buy two more upgrades for Summoner to evolve it, but that would cost me 900 Points.

"Can I see your upgrades for a second?" Adam asked.

"Always."

< < Meta Upgrades For Sale > >

< Damage — Increase All Damage by 10% — 1000 Points >

< Rewards — Increase Reward Options by 1 — 625/4000 Points >

< Vendors — Increase Vendor Options by 1 — 4000 Points >

< Rerolls — Start every loop with 1 Reroll Dice — 2500 Points >

< Relic Saving — Start every loop with 1 Saved Relic Slot — 2995/5000 Points >

< Cheat Death — Start every loop with the Cheat Death Relic — 10000 Points >

So, I'd need 2005 Points to get Relic Saving locked in. That would probably be the best thing to get done now. But even if I sell the Blood Elemental Cores, I've just got 851 Points left. I could perhaps sell the Cruel Summoner's Gauntlets, but that seems a waste since the wraith's explosion is quite useful. I suppose if a better alternative appears I might sell them, but selling them just to buy two weapon upgrades seems foolish.

I think I should definitely buy the Relic Saving now though. I almost died twice in Stage Four in my last loop and I have a lot less Health this time around, so death is not unthinkable. I really want to start the next loop with the Cracked Slime Core available, since that'd enable me to pick the Fool and really get a lot of Points, so there's no way around it.

I could use my remaining Points to buy a Relic or maybe a couple Health or Defence upgrades. I'll get the last two Summoner upgrades in Stage Four instead.

"I'll pay the rest of the amount to unlock Relic Saving."

"Excellent," Luvicidix replied cheerfully.

< < Meta Upgrade Unlocked > >

< Relic Saving — Start every loop with 1 Saved Relic Slot >

"A special container is now available in your Player House," she explained. "With 1 Relic Slot unlocked, you can send any Common Relic back to the start of your next loop."

"I can keep investing into it, right? What does the upgrade look like now?"

The moth waved a hand.

< < Meta Upgrade For Sale > >

< Relic Saving — Start every loop with 2 Saved Relic Slots — 0/5000 Points >

So I was correct that each upgrade is still 5000 Points, that's good to know. I'd still need to unlock it two more times to be able to send a Rare Relic back.

"Would I be able to send the Wraith Lantern back?" he asked.

"Relics tied to Weapon Types cannot be saved in the special container."

Figures…

So much for trying to send the Lucky Bracelet back…

"You still have Points remaining," Luvicidix said. "Would you like to buy any other upgrades?"

"Not right now," he replied.

"Then I will take my leave for now," she said and lifted off from the ground. The orbiting silver scales returned to her wings. The moment she vanished into the clouds, time resumed its natural flow.

Belamouranthe and the Eye both moved closer to Adam, while the new denizen awoke in front of him.

[Urrr—] the Eye groaned. Adam felt his heart skip a beat at the sound.

Then the tesseract announced, [Congratulations! You have unlocked a Special Denizen due to your stellar performance in Stage Three – Forest Escort.]

Holy shit that scared me!

Is it making that noise because I didn't get all of the achievements in the same run?

He thought back to the first Special Denizen where it had produced the same soul-quaking sound. It hadn't done it the second time, when he unlocked Migraine.

So it's making that sound because some kind of fuckery is going on and confusing it? Or maybe its memory is being overwritten to not question why I have the achievements I didn't get in this loop?

The first time it made that noise was when I killed it. I should ask Emelia if she's heard it as well.

The new denizen looked at Adam with her violet-glowing eyes. Strands of her vibrant red hair poked out of her hood.

"Hello Adam," she said. "My name is Sylvia."

"You were Ezral's apprentice, right?"

She didn't blink as she stared into his eyes. "I was," she said.

Then her gaze ran down to his belt where the Fetish of Sloth was attached while not in use. "I see you have obtained his demonic idol."

"You're not gonna hold a grudge against me, right?" he asked.

Belamouranthe came up next to Adam, putting her left hand on his fuzzy vest while looking up at the newcomer.

Sylvia's eyes flicked to the Elphin girl. Unmasked fascination and curiosity filled her otherwise-neutral expression. Adam put his gauntleted hand atop Bel's head.

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I will do to you what I did to your master," he told her. There was no hostility in his voice, just a cold-hearted promise.

Sylvia's gaze returned to him and she said, "An apprentice does not often get to choose their master. Certainly not when what they study is a very limited field with very few magicians teaching it. Ezral may have taught me much of what I know and he was certainly a genius, but cavorting with demons warped his faculties. His obsession with the Elphin and their rituals drove him to ambushing your carriage. I had nothing to do with it."

It was hard to give her the benefit of doubt when she was clearly a blood mage like Ezral. And the way she looked at Belamouranthe was unsettling.

"Shitbox, can I command Special Denizens?" he asked the Eye. He recalled the conversation with Emelia where she'd said that Migraine was banned from the Tavern in her world.

[You may bar denizens from certain actions or parts of Interim Island if you so wish. They will be encouraged to obey your commands, so long as they are within reason.]

Adam kept eye-contact with Sylvia as he asked, "What if I decide to kill them?"

[It would be a waste, but you would not be prevented from doing so.]

"You heard the cube," Adam said to her.

"Fret not, Adam," she replied, clearly not scared by his threat. "I am sure I am worth more to you alive than dead."

"We'll see, but you are under no circumstances allowed to be alone with Belamouranthe. Don't touch her. Don't talk to her. Don't do anything to even slightly inconvenience her. Do you understand?"

"Of course."

Sylvia's lack of expression was quite off-putting and he couldn't tell if she was actually going to comply.

I really hope she doesn't fuck up my chances at saving Bel from the events of Stage Five.

"So, what do you sell? You're a vendor, right?"

She pulled her hood back and long vibrant red hair fell down her shoulders and back.

"Have a look," she then said. She flung out her right arm and revealed scrolls hanging on the inside of the cloak, as though she was some back-alley drug dealer.

< < Spell Scrolls For Sale > >

< Frost — Your next attack inflicts Frostbite, halting all of target's regeneration — 200 Points >

< Conflagrate — Your next attack inflicts Conflagration, dealing periodic burn damage to target — 200 Points >

< Zap — Your next attack inflicts Electrification, periodically draining target's Mana — 200 Points >

< Desiccate — Your next attack inflicts Wither, increasing damage inflicted to target by 50% — 200 Points >

< Tangle — Snare indicated target — 500 Points >

< Blink — Teleport to indicated location within your line-of-sight — 750 Points >

< Shade Barrier — Negate the next attack that deals damage to you — 2000 Points >

Huh, these are actually quite useful. I kind of assumed they'd be terrible because Emelia said she was similar to Belin.

"How many times can I use them?" he asked.

"Only once per scroll."

Figures.

"How long do they last?"

"Tangle lasts until the target is able to free themselves. Shade Barrier lasts until its effect is triggered. The Afflictions last until the end of the Stage or until the target cures themselves."

Frost and Desiccate are both quite good considering their cost. Shade Barrier would also be great if I'm struggling with obtaining Flawless on a Stage, but it's way too expensive to be used regularly.

These mostly seem like they're intended for encounters with very powerful bosses though.

"Will your inventory of spell scrolls expand at some point?" he asked.

"It might," she replied vaguely.

I don't need any of these for Stage Four so I guess I'll just go to the Market.

Adam ruffled Belamouranthe's hair. "Let's go say hi to Weaver."

"Okay!"

"Come find me when you need my spells," Sylvia called as Adam started walking towards the southern end of the island.

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